The Think Bottle Blog was created to gather great art, ideas, and inspiration into one place. I hope you get inspired to take a chance and dive into something of your own. Plus it’s a great place to interact with me on a daily basis. Cheers!
Never Tell ‘Em You’re Sorry
A beloved editor once told me, “Never, EVER, tell ‘em you’re sorry”. It was on a morning when a particularly mean (but I thought well-drawn) cartoon ran skewering one of our local human elected officials. I remember depicting him in my style of that period; one of a variety of blood sucking parasites I enjoyed drawing. The cartoon also absolutely reeked of another nugget of well-thunk cartoon wisdom: “NEVER LET FACTS GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD CARTOON”; I never did.
One of the first calls transferred into my office that sunny morning was a good friend who always made a habit of calling me to say he didn’t get the cartoon. The other calls were supposed to be for advertising; one guy wanted to sell his pick-up, a lady who needed to know the deadline for wedding announcements, (Wednesday at 3:pm, in case you’re wondering) and a call for someone in composing who left his tuna fish sandwich at home. I wondered how Herblock might field such calls and how I measured up thus far.
“Never say you’re sorry”, I admit the advice sounds callous, but it’s solid nonetheless. (And I would have absolutely ‘not apologized’ if anyone called to demand it). Sure, an apology is justified when you accidently sneeze in somebody’s ear or thoughtlessly make fun of their hair. An editorialist, on the other hand, has arrived at his opinion after endless hours of research, expert counsel, deep honest soul searching, and most importantly, furious sketching to find just the right kind of ballet tutu to dress the offender in. After considering these truths the pundit lays out his argument in a coherent and judicious way, laying blame where needed and comforting the victims. So you see an apology isn’t necessary when you intentionally sneeze in the person’s ear. Another nice thing is that if I were to accidentally step into something squishy and nasty, I’m immune because it’s commentary; and I don’t have to apologize.
Sounds all good in theory, I guess, and for the most part it worked. But in the end I thought my best and most enjoyable work lay in books. Books inspire and motivate- and if they are ever provocative or edgy there is at least a lesson to be gleaned. I never thought I had to worry about the pictures in my books for gosh sakes; everyone knows I have the best of intentions.
Which brings me to one of my favorite books I’ve drawn, THE BOY WHO LOOKED LIKE LINCOLN. A wonderful story by Mike Reiss that could be a Hieronymus Bosch garden (which would still be cool) were it not for the uplifting message of loving and accepting what makes each of us special. Controversy was the last thing I anticipated when I did the pictures- after all, it’s just a kid’s book.
I saw it simply as another opportunity to pay homage to my hero, the great cartoonist Herb Block of The Washington Post. For those of you not familiar with Herb Block he is, without exaggeration, the guy who almost single-handedly brought down Richard Nixon. Herb Block’s characterizations of “Tricky Dick’s” ski jump schnozzola inspired every cartoonist during Watergate and every cartoonist since; me included.
Never having had the opportunity to draw Nixon when he was actually president I frequently invented lame reasons to draw him just for the pleasure of it; so you can imagine my excitement when I first read Reiss’s story.
I thought, here’s another chance to draw Dick Nixon in all his ruddy, five o’clock shadowed proboscis glory; and in a book no less. And what made it even better was I now had an expanded arsenal with which to pay respects to Herb’s Nixon; pen, ink, pencils, watercolor and gauche. This Nixon will literally leap off the page.
I rendered my pictures in my usual vivid detail, bringing brickbat cartoon exaggeration into the real world of light, shadow and dimension. As vivid as my mental images usually are, you’d think I’d be able to see the enormous pit I was stepping into. I never imagined the effect watercolor flesh-tones would have on a cartoon Nixon nose; in short (no pun) it was quite obscene.
Well, what can I say except, I AM SO SORRY!
Your Comments
Your Comments
i’ve never drawn obama- he does, though, have some great features to characature. my fave was “w”- he always came across as a gremlin (not the car) it could be done but i’d imagine he might give the kids nightmares.
thanks for the nice comments
Your Comments
This is hands down our family fave kid picture book. It’s the title that we make sure all of our new-parent friends have a hardcover copy of for their new bundle of joy. 
I’ve yet to hand someone a copy who didn’t find it HILARIOUS!
Your Comments
thank you lonnie- it’s my favorite too.
i’m glad to see people get the humor.
all best.
Your Comments
Hey Dave,
The News-Sun could use you back on the switchboard!
Those were some good times at a good little newspaper!
With Earth Day coming up, I was telling some folks at The Blade how you used to illustrate the cover and we would make tee shirts and sell.
You ever start merchandising any of your stuff yet?
Your Comments
hi dick- nice to hear from you-you’re at the blade? yes- good times. i’m happy doing my thing now and can’t imagine going back now; my editors were tops though. no merch.
say hi to marci for us
Your Comments
thanks cc,
nice to hear your comments- keep working at it and never put the pencil away.
I’m sorry I didn’t read this sooner! Great work + inspiring, too. Have you thought of illustrating our current and/or recent presidents? I’d personally love to see Obama Catrow-ified.
Seriously your biggest fan!